Paper file



March 29, 1932. LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS 1,851,531

' PAPER FILE Filed June 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

March 29, 1932. LE 0 5 c m s 1,851,581

PAPER FILE Filed June 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 10 9 6- zz Z2 f oiaj zzgf p Aa ol z a Patented Mar; 29, 1932 U N l :LE no; u. HUTCHINGS, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, lssm omo nnm nerro'nnnnn me,

, or TONAWANDA, new YORK rArEn FILE Application filed J'une 15,

This invention relates to improvements Y in paper files and particularly to the type of file having a supporting plate, atone end portion of which is mounted a plurality of suitable leaf supporting and retainingstru tures which project laterally from the face of p the supporting plate. Y i a This invention is designed to provide a paper tile in which the leaf-retaining strum tures are detachably engaged in interlocked relation with the supporting plate so that theymay be removed from the supporting plate when it is desired to transfer the filed papers from a temporary to a permanent tile or the like, or when it may be desiredto store the same. This permits the use ofthe supporting plate for the reception of other files bythe engagement of other-similar leaf retaining; structures therewith, so that the su ortin lates are alwa s in use in active" les.

supporting leaves in such amanner that they may be readilymoved from one end of the and sheets are so formedthat the sheets may be readily attached or detached in one position thereof relative to the retaining structures.

A further object of the invention resides, in providing a paper file in which a plurality of substantially U-shaped retaining struc-i tures are provided, some of which are imperforate while others are provided with ga'ps operate to prevent detachment ofgthe sheets fromthe retaining structures in their move- 5 in some of said structures,

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a special construction for the leaf-retaining structures for detachably intermediate the ends adapted to have special cooperation with specially formed sheets to; permit attachment, and detachment .of the sheets with the retainingstructures at,thef portions aligned withgaps, and wherein the sheets and retaining structures normally co 1 1928. Serial Nb. 285 659;

, The invention also co nprehends the M,

sion of specially constructed units formed of single lengths of wireft'o provide a pair of leaf-retaining fs tru'ctu res ofv U-shaped con:

structio'n, normallyinverted and in which one" of the structures is anintegral or im-j perforate member while the other is provided 5 with a gap intermediate itsends {formed by the vopposed ends of the wire forming the structures, intermediate portions of the .Wire

being adapted for interlocking cooperation with a suitable retaining platecarriedb-y the eel" supporting member for the file". "j r The invention includes numerous other objec ts and advantages whichjresidein the special construction and association of the several parts, which are all more particularly pointed out; in detail in the following. de-

scription and claims, directed to a preferred M form of construction, it being understood,

however, thatv various changes may be made a in the construction, relationand assemblyfot" thefparts without departing "from the features of the invention as set forth. in the followingdescription and claims. I r p In thedrawings forming part of this ap-- plication': 1 .f a

Fig. 1 isa perspective of the improved paper file illustrating how a sheet is moved from one side of the file to the'other and effectively guided across {the gap portions of some of the retaining structures w-ithout da f tachment-therefrom.x V Fig. 2 is a perspective similar toEig. l,

but illustrating the method of operating a sheet tov detach the same from the retaining structures p '7 f I 3 is a vertical'longitudinali section through one of the leaf-retaining structures Fig. his a'. perspective showinguthe construction of one pair of: dissimilar leafretainingi structures, from .a single length' of wire."

I Fig. is perspective 'ot theretaining plated" fer t eleaf-retainingstructures;

4 ,Figfi is a plan viewot one-end portion of one ofthe sheets for the file, showing the formation of the apertures therein which receive the file-retaining structures, V This improved file includes a supportingioof I 55- i tures,-as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,terminating plate or base member 1 which may be made with a V-shaped recess 2, and a retaining"- plate 3 is, mounted on thiszrendiof'the sup; porting pl'ate'so thattli'e' projecting.v portion I 4 of the retaining plate formed 'with'the I opening 5 therein Will over-lie the recess 2. This provides a means by which the entire desk,or the like, by engaging; the plate 3 with "a *suitable prong or*- nail projecting flimvshthe p g 5. The Plate 3 is se cured to the supporting'plate in suitable mannersuc'h as by lscrews-6 inserted through the openings at the corner portions thereof,

while thecentral portion- 0f this retaining I plateis" provided with pairs ofslots 8 hav ing enlargements or laterally extend-ingporti'ons 9' at-the opposite ends, the enlargements @pai-r; a'sclearly illustrated in Fig. 5. The

supporting plate 1 is recessed at 10, as shownin F1g: 3,,in registry 'withrthe pairs offslots 8,jthe-recess 10 beingfsubstantially wider than *the slots in'the'retaining plate' I In the file illustrated, four lIiVQIiJGd'U- V shapedleaf'fsupporting structuresare prof yvided, as shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, which are mounted in spaced parallelrrelation and in alignment-transversely with respect to one another; "llliftwo central leaf-supporting structures"indicated -at'-{1 1 are continuous im'embers; so-asrto -proyide a pair ofco'ntimk ous supporting rodsfor sheets attach'edithere tor; The outside l'eaf 'supporting structures, 7 indicated at in F igs. 1'and 2, arefiformed to provide gaps 13 substantially equidistant in opposedrelati'on'. Theends' arefinsubstantialalignment and are preferably formed "of ogiv a'l -shape,Vas'indicated at 16 in 'Figrz to facilitate the ready engagement and disengagementuthereofin the openings infa" paper sheet'without the likelihood oft-caring the'sheet. Y j 4 7' f X Each ofthe U shape'd leaf-retaining strucatthejretai ni'ng" plate 3 and is suitablysecuredtheretor- The preferred form of cone shown in Figsfid and4-;which' provides for the-formation ofonejof the continuous structures II with one of the structure's12 to fofrnr' an integral unit. 'This is done by'forming one of the members 11' and one 'o'f'the struc- '65 tiire'sil27from a single piece of wireof suitfile maybe hung up ona Wallyt-heside of-a;

9 of'oneslot extending in opposite directions 7 to tlie' enla'rgemen'ts of the otherslot-o-f each engageunder theiintervening portions 1 8; of

taini-ng plate and i on the supporting member of this sheet has a series of aligned apertures from the end s thereoffi The U -shaped retain-i ing stri'lctures 12 each com-prise a airof pan; allel prongmsections having the free ends 15' curved toward'eac'h other andtermin'ating structures atthecenter thereof as shown in structing fth ese leaf-retaining 1 structures is supporting plate as nearly-shown irrl ig v In*the% se 6f the file, th'efsh'eets; be;

turned from the superposedposition of ione V Wire terminate in adjacent spaced relation intermediatethe prongs 14 of the structure 12 to provide the gap 13. Intermediate sections of'the Wire 17 join the'ends of the U shapedportionsll and 12 and support each pair of 'di'ssimi la-rleaf---retain-in-gstructures in theirproperspacedrelation. This. form of construction permits of the detachable mounting of the leafereta'ining units in the retaining plate 3-throughfthe special formation of the slots inthe plate so that the ends of the retaining structures With theaconnectingportions 17 can be inserted through one pair of slots byvfie'xing these 8 portions17 toward one anotl'ier', as shown in.

dot and'dash'linesin Fig. 3; 'VVhen the porv tions"-ofieach"structure Will'seat in-the out- Wardly extending enlargements 9 of each pair of slots while the 1 connecting p orti ons 17 Will Q the retainingipl-ate with Which they will have interlocking l; cooperation 1 torigidly mount theleafretainingstructures in'the re to-projectlaterally therefrom inthe manner illus-trated inFigs 1and2. Y i

A specialform of sheet is obviously re- 1 q1-1i-red =for "this file" which is illu strated in detail-'inFig. 6 at'1 9. Onemarginal portion- 20 and 21 at proper spaced-intervals to re ceivethe four leaf-retaining structures of I the filei-[Th central-openings=21 have a slot 22ffo rrried in the marginal portion of the sheet communicating therewith-,whielr also v extend through the-edgejo'f-the sheet.- This Permits of=theinsertionof-the sheet on-t0 the? 7 centralpair; of leaf r'eta ining structures 11; so that they will berec'ei'ved in the" openings 21' in such a :manner that the sheet 'Wil l=' i be freely-slid-ahle 7 along these structures.

-Toapplytl'ie sheets to the file; they are 1 inserted transversely of the deaf-retaining Fig.2, 1 so that the margin :fo'rmed With' the openings engaged through the gaps;

13'- in' "the end structures"12', Whil'ei;the center portion of thesheet receives the centrals'truc tures 1-1 through the slots-221mm theap'er tunes-211 Then}, the sheet maybemovedto either end 'o fthe leaf-retaining strl ctures as? desired and may ibe su'p'ported thereby. on the 1 and-'2;

direct upward motion is made so astoi raise for recording thereon or obtaining access to a record thereon by grasping'the free margin of the sheet in the central portion and with a semi-circular movement "of the hand through an arc of 180, the sheet will slide along all of the retaining structures to the opposite ends thereof. In this movementgthe portion ofthe sheet engaged with the retaining structures will follow "the movement of the hand, and as the gaps 13 in the outer structures 12 are approached, the elfective and retaining cooperation of the as a result of this the sheet will move freely around the central curved portion of therej tainin structures without becoming disengaged or catching on the ends 15.

hen it is desired to remove a sheet from a file, it is grasped at the free margin and a the sheet upwardly at right-angles to the cen- 1 tral curved port ons of the retaining struc tures, as illustrated in Fig. 2, which will draw the sheet to-the portions of the structures 12 providing the gaps 13, andwith the aligning of the marginal'portion of the sheet with the gaps a slight additional pull will serve to dis the structures 11 from the sheet engage through the slots 22. Thls operat on of the sheets-to move them from one side of the file to the other or to disengage them from the file, materially facilitates the working of the sheets operate in an unthe same and usually easy manner over the leaf-retaining structuresand in an unusually efiicient manner. v

' When a group of papers are filed on the leaf retaining structure'units, they may be readilydisengaged in group form from the supporting plate 1 without removal from the leaf-retaining structure units by disengaging the retainin structure units from the retaining plate 3 through the slight flexing of the ends toward one another so that the connecting portions 17 may be withdrawn through the slots 8. The detached group including the units may then be stored or boxed for transportation or transferred to some other type of holder construction-which may be used for inactive files without disassembling the sheets from their filed order, while the supporting retaining structure unlts engaged thereinfor receiving new sheets for filing.

It should be understood from the abovedescription that the invention provides a portj able file holder in which the papers are etfi-l cien'tly retained, including a specially'cone structed sheet, special leaf-retaining strucf-Y tures and a specially constructed supporting structure forthe leaf-retaining structures'in which the sheets, the leaf-retaining structures having a slot plate may have a new set of leaf of other structure; 1 In combinat1on, 1a paper file having a P ar of leaf-retaining"Structures, one ,ofsaid and the supporting structure therefore'ach cooperate one with the otherzto provide 1 a highly novel and'useful file adapted'to supply numerous requirements for the convenient: handling of groups of papers.

WVhat 1s claimed is:

- 1. A paper file, comprising a jpair of in verted U;-shaped,leaf'retaining structures ar,-

ran'ged'in spaced parallel, relation,- land;co V

operatingo'uter leaf retaining structures are rangedwon each s1de,-.of-sa1d.pair ofstrucr' tures in a plane parallel thereto andin trans versely'alignedrelation therewith, each outer structure comprising a pair of I spaced prongs having curved ends termmating n oppose tures. being an-rinverted U-shape, and the other structure consisting of-a pair of spaced parallel prongs having the endscurvedtoward each other and terminating in adjacent l aligned and spaced relation;

3. A paper file,;comprising apa'ir of leafd' a and spacedrelation, saidendsjbeing substantially ogivalashap-ed. i

retaining'structur es arranged inspacedparallel relation, each structureibeing of inverted. U-shape, and one of said'structures' having a V gap ntermediate its ends,

LIA paper file, comprising a of in-- verted U-shaped leaf retaining structures ary ranged in spaced parallel relation, one of said structures being formed to provide a gap intermediate its ends, and means joining adjacent ends of said structures to form an integral unit. i i

5. A paper-file, comprising a lengthof wire formed to provide a pair of inverted U- y shaped leaf-retaining structures arranged in spaced parallel relation, one of said struc-' tures being formed to provide a gap. intermediate its ends, said structures'having cor: responding ends joined by intermediate port tions of said wire. v i

6. In combination, a paper file having a pair of inverted U-shaped leaf-retaining structures, one .of said structures being conraperture receiving said complete: structure formed in the'marginal portion said sheet communicating therewith-,

whereby the sheet may be'removed from said 7 structures by withdrawing the complete structure through the slot, and the marginal portion of the sheet lthroughthe gap in the structures being complete and the other structure having a gap intermediate the ends,"and.v

a sheetslidably mounted; on said structures havinga pair of apertures, each receiving one ofsa'id structures, the; aperture receiving said complete structure havinga slot formed a in the marginal portion of the sheet commug'. nicating therewith, said :sheet being normal-I ly guided in sliding movement from end to mitting removal from means for mounting said'units'on said sup-J'- porting member with portions of eachunit 7 "including said connecting means engaging in the recesses in said supporting member, said recesses in said supporting member being end of said file by said structure's, said='complete structure normally retaining .the sheet in the'file as it passes the gap of the other structure, and said sheet being removable fromsaid file by Withdrawal thereof through thegap in said other structure, the slot persaidimperforate structure.

tures having means connecting theirrcorrespending legs, one of the structuresineach unit having a slot intermediate its ends,"and

; spaced to mount said unitsin spaced aligned and-parallel relation with the spacing be tween 'all'the retaining structures on all theunits equal. 7

LE ROI EQ UTCHINGSQ 8. A paper file,- coinprising a supporting 7 member having recesses inon'e face, a plural-' ity of retaining units, each unit consisting of apair of inverted U-shaped retaining strucj I 

